Umbrella



1. R. S HlPM AN AND 1. 8. CLICK.. UMBRELLA.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- l9, 19H)- 1 ,325, 1 '1 8. Pateflted- Dec. 16, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. SHIPMAN' AND JOSEPH S. CLICK, OF BRIDGEWATER, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS OF THREE-FIFTHS TO BRIDGEWATER PLOW CORPORATION,

GINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

OF BRIDGEWATER, VIR- UMBRELLA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 19, 1919. 7 Serial No. 283,514.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES R. SHIPMAN and JOSEPH S. CLICK, citizens of the United States, residing at Bridgewater, in I the county of Rockingham and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to that type of umbrella in which the rod or staif is not radial with respect to the spherical cover, but is located at one side to permit the user to occupy the central portion of the covered space, thereby obtaining maximum shelter. A quite satisfactory type of such an umbrella is shown in the patent to Shipman and Click, No. 864,929, of September 3, 1907, but this patented device has the following disadvantages: First, the carrier (the part to which the braces are attached) is so made that when the umbrellais closed, the device and the braces all appear at one side of the staff. This is undesirable as to appearance and' causes the cover to wear by contact with these parts. Second, when the umbrella is hoisted this carrier device is somewhat in the users way because of its location, and is not comely in appearance.

The object of the present invention is to overcome these objections and to provide an umbrella of this type which shall be en tirely satisfactory.

Our preferred form of construction is shown in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which,-

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the device showing the parts in their raised position.

Fig. 2 is a similar section but showing the parts in their collapsed position.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the notch and sleeve, showing the latter in section.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the runner and carrier.

In the drawings, 10 represents the staff carrying at its opposite ends the customary handle 11 and steel ferrule 12, and just below the latter the crown piece 14, grooved peripherally and longitudinally to provide seats for the ribs 15 pivoted to the wire in the usual manner. The cover is secured to the eyes 16 at the ends of the ribs and is held in place against the'crown by a conical cap 17 secured to the stafi.

Slidably mounted on the staif 10 is a runner 20 formed of a sheet metal sleeve 21 having a Vshaped recess 22 in the upper end in alinement with the slot 23 which receives the spring pressed catch 24 in the usual manner. A second catch 25 is provided in the upper portion of the staif to engage the stiffening ring 26 on the lower end of the runner, and to cooperate with the stop 27 guided in recess 22 to maintain the umbrella in correct raised position.

the metal of the sleeve or carrier to form ears of the usual type and may mount the links in such ears, but we prefer the construction shown. Secured to the carrier 32 is a notch 34, which, while providing the usual number of seats for the stretcher rods 35, spaces the rear seats 36 somewhat less than 50 apart, so that the five rods or braces will define an are but little greater than a semicircle. The other two seats 37 are so out as to approximately divide the remaining arc into three equal parts, and yet leave sufficient metal between the seat and the cutaway portion 40 which embraces the staff when the umbrella is down and the catch 24 is in slot 23. The normal looseness of fit of the stretcher rod ends in the seats and the natural resiliency of the metal are sufficient to allow the rods to take up their correct position, permitting the use of stock sizes of ribs, rods and covers; in fact, everything about the umbrella is standard practice, except the parts shown in Fig. 3, this being a great advantage when repairs are to be made, such as the replacing of a broken rib or rod.

The umbrella is raised in the usual way by depressing the catch 24 with the thumb and elevating the runner until the recess 22 is engaged by the stop and the upper catch is released by the passing of the ring 26. The upward movement of the runner is transmitted to the carrier by the links 30 and 31 which, being pivoted on either side of the staff to the two elements, cause an offsetting of the carrier.

In elevated position the lower link 30 is practically horizontal, and the upper curved link is out of the users way, lying entirely above the notch 3st. The length of the shorter upper link is such that in both raised and lowered positions the extended axis of the carrier passes through the center of the crown piece H. In lowered position the open side of the carrier and notch permits the brace to be assembled neatly around the staff, practically like the umbrella now in common use. This gives a neat and compact appearance to the umbrella when closed and does not wear the cover by contact.

What is claimed is:

1. In an umbrella, a staff, ribs pivoted thereto, a notch having an open side adapted to receive the staff when the ribs are lowered, spreaders pivoted to the ribs and the notch, and means for maintaining the notch offset from the staff when the ribs are raised.

2. In combination, a staff, a runner slidable thereon, a spreader rod carrier having an open side adapted to receive the staff, and a plurality of links of unequal length pivoted to the runner and carrier,

3. As an article of manufacture for use with umbrellas, parasols and the like: a sleeve, a notch having an open side adapted to receive the staff of an umbrella when the latter is in closed position, a support for the notch, and pivotal connections between the sleeve and support.

4:. As an article of manufacture for use with umbrellas, parasols and the like: a sleeve, a notch having an open side adapted to receive the stafi of an umbrella when the latter is in closed position, a support for the notch, and a plurality of links of unequal length connecting the sleeve and support.

5. In an umbrella, a staff, a crown on said staff, ribs pivoted to the crown, a notch adapted to lie coaxial with the staff and crown when the umbrella is closed, spreader rods pivoted to the ribs and notch, and means for maintaining the notch offset from the staff when the umbrella is raised.

6. In an umbrella, a staff, a crown on said staff, ribs pivoted to the crown, a notch adapted to lie coaxial with the stafi and crown when the umbrella is closed, spreader rods pivoted to the ribs and notch, and means for maintaining the notch offset from the staff but alined with the center of the crown when the umbrella is raised.

7. In an umbrella, a stafi, an elongated runner slidable thereon, a carrier, an opensided notch thereon, coaxial with said staff when the umbrella is closed, a straight link pivoted to the runner and one end of the carrier, and a shorter curved link pivoted to the runner and the other end of said carrier to offset the notch from the staff when the umbrella is raised and to permit the notch to receive the staff in its open side when the umbrella is lowered.

JAMES R. SHIPMAN. JOSEPH S. CLICK. 

